"What about when you get sick?" Responding to the Most Common Objection to Outside 365

Aspen, Colorado

After over 5 years of exercising outside every day, I've fielded a slew of objections and critiques against my Outside 365 project. While I have a tough time getting myself into the mind of the haters (perhaps that's an article for another time), the two most common objections are time constraints and sickness. 

As I've covered before, claiming a "lack of time" is a shitty excuse, and it simply points to a misalignment in priorities.

But what about sickness?

On the surface, being sick seems like it's an excuse for not going outside to walk a mile... but before we accept that at face value, let's take a closer look.

Exercising Outside Boosts Your Immune System

Aspen, Colorado

Many studies show that both exercise and being outside in nature bolster your immune system—so doing them both at the same time provides a double benefit. Consequently, if you're living an Outside 365 lifestyle, you're much less likely to get sick in the first place. While it may happen from time to time, living an active, outdoor lifestyle will only help reduce the number of times that you even need to deal with illness.

But eventually, you'll get sick. What then?

"But what about when you do get sick?" The objectors—many of whom appear to be well-meaning—ask. "I did Outside 365 until I got sick, and then my streak ended," said others.

Apparently, these commenters haven't yet realized that when I said this is a no-excuses zone, I fucking meant it. As I wrote back in 2021, you can tell your excuses to go fuck right off... and that includes your excuses around sickness.

After five years of this project, I've personally dealt with sickness ranging from the common cold all the way up to COVID. And you know what? Nothing feels as shitty as sitting inside, wallowing in your misery, and wishing you felt better.

I've found that when I get off the couch, pull on a coat, and go outside for a one-mile walk, I actually feel better than I did sitting inside on the couch. The fresh air (even if it's cold) is a rejuvenating force, and it immediately improves my mood and disposition. Even if it's cloudy or rainy outside, simply moving my body through the open air provides a boost in energy, happiness, and well-being that's immediately evident. And since we know that being out in nature boosts the immune system, this can only help you get better more quickly.

Aspen, Colorado

But what about that nasty C word—COVID? The reality is that here in the USA, nobody has ever been able to stop you from getting out and walking a mile outside. (If you live in a country that has put such limitations in place, maybe you should reconsider your country of residence.)

To be a responsible citizen and to minimize the risk of passing it on to others, you should wear a mask and avoid crowded places. If you live in a crowded area, you can choose a time of day when fewer people will be out and about. But you can easily (and safely) walk a mile outside, even with COVID.

Perhaps my bout of COVID was less intense than yours. Perhaps I recovered more quickly. That's entirely possible... and that's why I got vaccinated in the first place. Turns out vaccines work—shocker.

COVID is cute... but what about cancer?

COVID wasn't any fun, but compared to what many other people have to deal with, it was a walk in the park. Over the years, I've slowly been collecting stories of incredible badasses that have kept a run streak or Outside 365 streak alive through the most brutal of ailments: cancer and chemotherapy.

One of the podcast interviews that helped inspire me to tackle the Outside 365 challenge absolutely blew my mind as I listened to the story of a woman who kept a decades-long run streak alive through breast cancer by taping her chemo pump to her chest, getting out of her hospital bed, and running a mile every day before subsequently returning to her hospital room.

In recent years, I've also observed from a distance a friend who successfully fought a different type of cancer. Despite an extended bout of chemotherapy, she managed to not only keep an Outside 365 streak alive but she rode thousands more miles that year than I've ever completed in a single year. (Oh, and she ran, hiked, and paddled a staggering number of miles on top of that.)

Acknowledge Your Objections for the Pathetic Excuses They Are

After observing these incredible athletes (and more) keep their streaks alive through radically more harrowing medical circumstances than I've ever experienced, it drives home an important truth: I am not a badass.

These two women, on the other hand, are the true badasses. I don't know if I'll ever become that hardcore myself, but I'll never stop being inspired by the people who are.

So excuse me if I have no sympathy when you come to me with your runny nose, trying to tell me that you can't possibly walk a mile outside because you don't feel up to it.

Harden the fuck up and make it happen.

You’ll feel better once you do.

Here are some wildflowers so the ending seems less harsh.